I was alone. I had been alone my entire life… an introverted person with no strength, no friends. All I had was my ability to weave stories from my imagination. But even that imagination felt like a curse, as if it were playing tricks on me. I was like a puppet, controlled by a cunning mind on a dark stage, moving however it pleased.

I was always the target of bullying. I couldn’t make friends. "Just a stupid writer," that’s what I called myself. Every time I faced this truth, I’d bang my head against the wall, as if physical pain was easier to endure than the prison inside my mind.

I had nothing but my thoughts. Thoughts that haunted me like an unshakable shadow. And in the midst of all that darkness… I remembered her face. Eilaf... her soft voice echoed in my ears: “I trust you completely. Save me.”

I lifted my head suddenly, as though I’d broken free from an endless whirlpool. Yes… I will save you. I won’t let you slip away, even if I have nothing left.

I stood to my feet, and a piercing scream burst from my chest, tearing through the walls around me:

“Whoever you are, I will face you! I will save her, no matter the cost! I will never give up!”

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"Eilaf, I’m the one who put you in this situation, and I’m the one who will get you out of it." I said it with a steady voice, but suddenly, a mocking sound cut through the darkness around me:

"Do you really think you can even stand, you fool? You failure! There’s no escape for you from this."

I froze in place, the echo of those words pounding in my head like hammers. I muttered bitterly, "What? Is that the voice of my mind?"

I lowered my head, and a soft laugh escaped me, turning into a wild, hysterical cackle: "Hahaha... more... hahahahahaha!"

I suddenly raised my head, my features filled with defiance: "Are you challenging me? I know you’re the voice of my mind. But listen to me… anyone who stands in my way to save her, I’ll destroy them! Each of us fights to keep the light in their life."

I grabbed my head with both hands and screamed: "Aaaah! The pain... my head is going to explode!" I felt myself being pulled into different realms, as if my mind was shattering and collapsing. I screamed again, "What’s happening to me?!"

I opened my eyes to find myself in a strange place. "What is this? A dark path… it’s a tunnel." I began walking, my steps heavy and unsteady. Fear clawed at me, but amidst the darkness, my memories with her were my shield. Our moments in the gardens, our laughter in the serenity—they gave me strength.

Despite the dark surroundings, I knew that Eilaf, waiting for me at the end of this tunnel, was the light that would shatter all this gloom.

Suddenly, I heard a strange whistling sound behind me. My heart pounded wildly, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the ground rhythmically: thud… thud. Then came slow, deliberate footsteps approaching me.

In front of me appeared a strange figure, distorted features and a psycho-like grin plastered on his face. With a voice that challenged every fiber of my being, he said:

"Welcome… let’s see if you’re up to the challenge or not."